Vietnam Veteran

[Raggedy Ann]

I ran across this and thought I would pass it on.

Raggedy Ann

Vietnam Veteran
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or not they were actually stationed in Vietnam during their service. However, the more common usage distinguishes between those who served "in country" and those who did not actually serve in Vietnam by referring to the "in country" veterans as "Vietnam veterans" and the others as "Vietnam era veterans." The U.S. government officially refers to all as "Vietnam era veterans." In the English-speaking world, the term "Vietnam veteran" is not usually used in relation to members of the communist People's Army of Vietnam or the Viet Cong.

United States veterans
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) of 1974 states, "A Vietnam era veteran is a person who (1) served on active duty for a period of more than 180 days, any part of which occurred between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975, and was discharged or released with other than a dishonorable discharge; (2) was discharged or released from active duty for a service connected disability if any part of such active duty was performed between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975; or (3) served on active duty for more than 180 days and served in the Republic of Vietnam between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975."

More than 58,000 US personnel died as a result of the conflict. This comprises deaths from all categories including deaths while missing, captured, non-hostile deaths, homicides, and suicides. The US Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes veterans that served in the country then known as the Republic of Vietnam from February 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975, as being eligibile for such programs as the department's Readjustment Counseling Services program (aka Vet Centers).

South Vietnamese veterans
Following the communist victory on April 30, 1975, South Vietnamese veterans were rounded up and sent to reeducation camps, essentially forced labor camps in desolate areas. They were detained without trial for up to decades at a time. After being released, they and their children faced significant discrimination from the communist government. A significant proportion of the surviving South Vietnamese veterans left Vietnam for Western countries, either as boat people or through the Humanitarian Operation (HO). The Vietnam draft left about 33,300 dead. in total the draft included 100,000 men from the ages 18-25. About 12 percent of these people are not known because they never reported for duty after being selected for the draft. The other 88 percent are recognized as veterans of the Vietnam war, with the casualties among them memorialized on the fountain wall outside Washington DC.